The Ember Gods

Jacob Clark has just returned from the world of Eklaron, where he frustrated the evil plans of the Lorkon and returned the magical Key of Kilenya to its rightful owners. His quest is far from over, though—Aloren is trapped in Maivoryl City by the Ember Gods, and Jacob can't return to save her until he receives the potion that will protect his team from the corrosive influence of the Lorkon.

Balancing between this new world and his own proves tricky. Not only has he started his first year of high school, but his magical abilities are bringing him too much attention. He feels pulled by both sides, hoping he'll figure out his special powers to save Aloren in time.

The Ember Gods picks up right where the Key of Kilenya left off.  If you remember, Jacob had just rescued Akeno from the Evil Lorkon. (not Lorkons) He made the difficult choice that left Aloren in the freaky City of Maivoryl with the creepy zombie people outside her door.  Jacob is raring to go rescue her, but the Makalos and his parents have other plans for him.  They are insisting that he wait until they have more info about the city and what is keeping her there.  So, in the meantime, Jacob starts High School.  He deals with regular kid problems like getting the basketball coach to notice him, teachers, girls, bullies.  Add in to the mix the fact that he is trying to understand his newfound powers, help rescue prisoners from an enchanted forest and finish reading the diary that the Makalos entrusted to him.  Sound like a lot for a teenager to handle?

These books have a fresh take on Young Adult fantasy.  The world is unpredictable and interesting. And the characters don't fall into any stereotypes.  The characters are more developed in this book and I felt like I knew them and understood them.  There are times when I laughed out loud and times when I was so worried about a character that I had to keep reading just to make sure he or she (no spoilers here) was safe. 

Andrea Pearson has done a great job in this book of developing Jacob.  We can really see that he is someone special, not just by his skills on the basketball court or his math abilities, but by the way he treats people and makes good choices.  I really enjoyed seeing him grow.  I don't want to give anything away, but the end of this book has a great twist and I can tell that there are more coming.  There are still so many unanswered questions, I can't wait for the next book. 

So, if you're looking for a fun read for anyone about 12-ish up, and still interesting enough for an adult, I highly recomment the Kilenya series!

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/91099